Book Review - Blink

When my friend Kim said that she owned The Jungle, I asked to borrow it. She showed up at my desk with The Jungle, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and Blink, the Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.

Blink is sort of one of those self-help books, though it doesn't tell you what you need to do, just what you need to know. I tend to avoid self-help books at all costs. Usually they are common sense and second, reading them indicates that you are not perfect and I confidently know that I am perfect.

Blink begins with a powerful story where someone had a hunch, but didn't trust that hunch. In fact, this person ended up participating in a big ruse, only to learn several years later that the hunch was right. It was a big embarrassment.

The book is filled with interesting and powerful stories that demonstrate how your initial thought, that split-second first impression, is often correct. This throws the old cliche' of 'don't judge a book by its cover' right out the window. There are many times in your life where it pays to trust that gut instinct. Gladwell backs up his theories with many psychological studies and some medical facts.

My gut instinct when I first started reading this book was that it was mostly common sense. And after reading this book, I'm trusting that split-second thought, that decision that is made as quick as a blink. Yes, this book is mostly common sense. However, it is an interesting book and it only took me 5 days to read it, which for me is really quick.

I recommend this book, if not for the self-help aspect of it, for the pure entertainment value of it. The stories are interesting and I'm sure you will agree.